This was very dissapointing. Really just tasted somewhat like a grocery store bought caesar salad. The dressing was extremely thick and creamy. Which was nice, but had too much salt, in my opinion. The saltiness was unnecessary, given it was tossed with smoked chicken breast, that would have added ample saltiness to the mixture. I found the dressing very overpowering and could taste not much else. If this wasn't the case, the aged balsamic would have otherwise provided a good balance that would have cut through the creamyness of the dish Thinly sliced beef tenderloin served on a bed of rocket leaves tossed with extra virgin olive oil, shaved parmesan and cracked pepperGrilled Atlantic Salmon marinated with tarragon served with braised fennel on crushed new and sweet potatoes complimented by an orange sauce

This is the second time that I've had the Veal Shank and its actually pretty good. The veal has good flavour, it was tender and falling off the bone. The mash was deliciously buttery. The only down side was the vegetables. They had simply been boiled and then tossed on the plate.

My friends had the $12 steak and said it was tender and cooked to perfection.

Overall Impression: 5/10

Great for a casual catch-up dinner. Situated in the gaming area, I guess it could not be anything else. Service was quite good. Waiters served us crusty white bread upon arrival with a smile. Food arrived promptly and was, given the prices (assuming you get the $12 meal deal), a reasonable meal.

Location: 25 Market Lane, Melbourne Phone: (03) 9650 0848 Link:http://www.shoya.com.au/Cuisine: Japanese Serving consistently good Japanese fare, Shoya has been a long favourite of mine. This time we decided to visit during lunch. There are several lunch menu options that range from about $25 to $65. To my delight, the quality of service and the food delivered was not compromised even though the lunch menu option is relatively cheaper to the usual a la carte.

The thing that I enjoy most about visiting Shoya during lunch is that it really breaks up the day at the office. Shoya's restaurant structure consists of 6 split levels including a traditional Horigotatsu, which is my favourite. I was very happy that we were seated there as it has such a relaxed ambience and for some reason it feels like I have ducked out of the office for a little Japanese adventure.

Chawa Mushi

Savoury Egg Custard

Agedashi Tofu

Chilled Bean Curd

Seaweed salad

Sashimi

Sushi rice topped with Salmon Sashimi and Salmon Roe

Tempura

Grilled Fish

Udon

Green tea ice cream

The sashimi was fresh, the chawa mushi was silky smooth, the tempura had a clean crispness about it and the green tea ice cream was dense and creamy. It was a good meal. Cannot wait to go back!

Innocent Bystander is a trendy little café in Heallesville. Its worth dropping by for a free tour of their winery (tour information is on their website). It’s a very relaxed environment with cheerful waitstaff and a good bakery on site.

The Salmon salad was at best plain but the pizzas on the other hand were good. The sweets (from what I hear) were yummy. Overall a good casual lunch. Highly recommended if you are going with a small group (around 8 people) as they allow small group bookings.

Decided to have dinner with J at this restaurant. Ambience wise, this is quite a nice restaurant. Cute fittings and fixtures. Its a bit noisy for my liking but overall, it was a good night out. The menu comprises of a range of Asian food and some western food as well. Don't expect a 'fine dining' experience and you will be alright!

I guess I was just dissapointed. It looked so good on the website. I was salivating just looked through the menu.. checking out what was on offer! In the restaurant's defence, I am a pretty excitable person. (Is excitable a real word? Wait I just checked, http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=excitable yes it is!) Anybody who knows me, knows how much I enjoy just waiting in anticipation. I enjoy booking weeks in advance and planning what to order like a week before I step into a restaurant. Now that I think about it, I probably have some mental disorder. But I digress… The point is I was very excited and I already had high expectations for this place. And the prices didn't really help. So, all things considered, including value for money, I think 4.5/10 is a fair score. Oh and one thing that this place is famous for is Apple Cider! Both J and I really enjoyed the drinks we ordered. I got the Kelly Brothers Sparkling Cider and J got the non-alcoholic cider Chicken and pistachio terrine served with homemade fig chutneyCaramelised sweet potato and coconut cream soupSalmon paté – prepared with smoked and fresh salmon, served with dukkah-spiced toasts Fillet of Blue eye, baked, and served with a minted green pea puree and parsnip crispsPorterhouse steak, chargrilled, and served with Kellybrook Shiraz jusHoney and almond tart, served with honey and spice icecream and clotted creamApple brandy cheesecake served with brandied apple compote and clotted cream

Nothing was really wrong with the food. It was just very very ordinary. There's nothing wrong with 'ordinary' food per se ,but I didn't think the prices were justified. I was particularly dissapointed with my Salmon paté. It was just way too salty. Which would have been fine if it had been served with a whole lot more bread. The soup and the terrine, on the other hand were both far too sweet. The evening ended on a high though. With a delicious honey and almond tart. What was truly special was the home-made honey and spice ice cream. The place has a really nice ambience. Its not a very long drive from Melbourne but when you get there, it feels like you're miles and miles away. J and I walked through their garden before heading inside for dinner. And it was lovely.